


Loneliness

by amami_mia



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Behavior, Cussing, F/F, Hospitals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-09
Updated: 2019-05-09
Packaged: 2020-02-28 22:04:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18765154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amami_mia/pseuds/amami_mia
Summary: Shiho's in the hospital and in a coma.Ann really hopes she'll wake up soon.





	Loneliness

**Author's Note:**

> It's 12 am I'm sorry

The light of the sun was fading through the window as Ann entered the hospital room. All was mostly quiet except for the occasional beeps of the machines surrounding Shiho's bed. Ann tried to ignore them. If she tried hard enough she could pretend that this was Shiho's bedroom, and it was middle school again and she was coming over to have a sleepover, and Shiho was just taking a nap. As long as she ignores the sterile white sheets and the linoleum floor, she could pretend that maybe, just maybe, Shiho would wake up, and maybe they'd read a magazine that Ann had brought together and laugh at the terrible writing inside. Unfortunately, some things couldn't be ignored for too long.

 

Ann sighed, and sat down on the bed besides Shiho's body. After clearing her throat and looking out the window for a moment, she began to talk.

 

“So, uhhhh….. the doctor guy out there said that you were in like, a medically induced coma or something.” She paused for a confirmation, even though she knew that she'd probably get no answer back. 

 

“He did say that talking to you would help though. Something about how you can vaguely hear me? I'm not sure, being a doctor isn't exactly my career path.” she said, awkwardly laughing for a few seconds before stopping. Damn, talking to herself was really embarrassing. She really hoped someone wouldn't walk in and overhear her, but knowing her luck that was probably exactly what was going to happen.

 

“ Listen, Shiho… I'm sorry.”

 

Ann didn't know why she said that, but she also knew all too well the reason. She was guilty, after all. If she had just let Kamoshida have what he wanted, then maybe, just maybe, Shiho would be happy and it would be just like middle school again, before any bruises or phone calls or hollow excuses or private meetings.

 

Something wet fell onto Ann's legs, and then another one. They were tears.

 

* * *

 

“Hey.” Ann said, as she entered the hospital room once again. She was exhausted from exploring Kamoshida's palace, but it was worth it. They had found the treasure room, and even though her body felt like it was about to internally combust, the emotional high she felt convinced her to take some time to visit Shiho once again. Speaking of Shiho…

 

She looked at the bed, and didn't know why she hoped. It was the same as yesterday, and they day before that, and the day before that. Shiho was motionless, with an IV in her arm and monitors at her bedside. Ann tried replacing them in her mind with fuzzy pillows and Shiho's favorite stuffed animal; a cat plushie that Ann had won for her in some arcade in Akihabara after she spent all her money on failed tries. It worked for a moment, but her brain didn't really have the energy to pretend that things were better than they were actually going. Ann sat down on the hospital bed once more, almost tempted to fall asleep right there, but managed to hold on, at least long enough to talk for a moment.

 

“We've almost done it, Shiho. God, I dunno how. Ryuji and that creepy cat… _thing_ have managed to knock over every item imaginable while bickering in the palace and I'm starting to think that we'll have no loot to show for our troubles.” She paused for a second, and then continued. “But I don't think that matters too much, because we found it. The treasure. All we gotta do is take it and then… it'll all be better. It'll be better for you, and it'll be better for me.”

 

Ann's voice was cracking, and the only thing keeping her from crying at this moment was that she was, quite frankly, too tired to expend the energy necessary to sob the way she felt like she should. She'd have time to do that later. Maybe her and Shiho could have a good cry together once Shiho woke up. They probably both needed it.

 

* * *

 

“Hey, Shiho, what do you think our lives would be like if Kamoshida never got hired?”

 

Ann was slouched on the hospital bed, head on where Shiho's still legs were under the covers while her own legs were bent and pressing against the foot of the bed.

 

“You don't gotta answer the question if you don't wanna, though it's not like you can, haha. Just use it as food for thought… Though I'm not sure if you can really use it. I'm not sure how much you exist right now, if I'm being honest. Hell, I'm not even sure how much I exist.”

 

Ann's only response to her ramblings was the steady beeping.

 

* * *

 

“I think that you'd still be on the volleyball team, or maybe you'd find something else naturally. You've always been adventurous like that, after all. Remember when you wanted to go to that concert with me when we were 12? Your parents said that you weren't allowed to but you and I snuck out and got into the venue. God, that night was so great, though I gotta say, didn't enjoy the month of cleaning every dish that followed it.”

 

Ann was lying on the floor, hands behind her head and using her jacket as a mattress. She wanted to be on the bed next to Shiho, but she knew she'd probably mess something up on such a small bed and accidentally hurt the other, so she was content staying on the floor.

 

“Ooh, or maybe you'd be an artist right now. Seems fitting, considering how apt you were to critique my skills when we first met.”

 

Progress with the palace had halted. Akira had said that he wanted to wait a bit, that he had things he wanted to do first before tackling the final challenge. That was good and all, but Ann was getting impatient. She wanted this done and over with, and she wanted Kamoshida to fess the fuck up already. She wanted justice, for her, for Ryuji, for Shiho, and for everyone else who he had tormented, and she wasn't too picky on when and how it was delivered, only that it was. 

 

Granted, murder wasn't particularly the way she wanted Kamoshida to be brought to justice, and she certainly wouldn't try it, but if he accidentally died because of their actions, she wouldn't be crying at his funeral. Hell, she'd probably be pissing on his grave.

 

* * *

 

“Shiho, do you think it's wrong to love your best friend?”

 

It was dark outside the window. Ann had pleaded and begged with the staff to let her stay the night, and her wish was eventually granted, though with a lot of rules attached. She was fine with those though, as long as it meant that she could have some extra time. The night was much better to play pretend in, after all. She could pretend that they were at her house, and Shiho had fallen asleep on her bed. In a bit, surely she would wake up and laugh a bit, and maybe say something like “Oh, look at the time!” and then they'd both laugh and then continue their night. But at some point, her feelings had stopped playing pretend.

 

“Listen, I know it's weird and kinda creepy to ask you that, especially when like. You know damn well what and who I mean. I just - I want you, Shiho. And I don't give a damn if you can hear me or not. I just… I need to get that off my chest because I love you so much.”

 

Ann had put a name to her fierce loyalty and fiery compassion towards Shiho. It wasn't the name she wanted at first, but she had come to terms with it. What it was called didn't matter, only what she felt. And what she felt for Shiho was brighter than a thousand flames, and it was so perfectly _right_. 

 

* * *

 

There were some coughs, and then a shaky voice sounded through the room.

 

“Ann? Is that you?”

 

Ann's head turned immediately from the homework she had been doing in the hospital chair and she immediately jumped up, her books crashing to the floor. Rushing to the bed, she grabbed Shiho and hugged her. She could feel tears running down her face, but she didn't care. Shiho was awake, and Kamoshida was gone.

 

“God, Shiho, you're awake and I missed you so much.” Ann said, trying to make herself sound like she wasn't crying her eyes out, and failed miserably. Shiho pulled away from the hug, and gave a weak smile.

 

“Aww, Ann, you don't need to cry. I probably haven't been unconscious for too long…” Shiho thought for a second. “I haven't been unconscious for that long, right?” The look on Ann's face gave her the answer. “Okay, dumb question.”

 

Ann gave a long sigh, and then shifted her face to be more serious before beginning to speak again, this time in a softer tone.

 

“Hey, listen, Shiho. If something ever happens again and you feel so bad you wanna… you know… uhh, please tell me.” She put her hand on Shiho's arm. “I know it might be tough, but you mean the world to me and I just… I just want to spend more time with you, you know? I don't wanna miss out on graduating with you or going to university with you or getting jobs with you. I care about you so much and -”

 

Shiho cut her off with a finger to her lips.

 

 “I, uhhh, heard what you said to me that one time.”

 

Ann flushed, immediately embarrassed. 

 

“R-really? Umm, I'm so sorry for that. Like really, I am and I know it's weird so I'll just go now because I know I'm probably being like, really creepy and it's totally cool if - _mmpfh?!?_ ”

 

Ann was cut off again this time, not by Shiho's finger but by her lips. After two seconds of their lips touching, Shiho pulled back, a faint blush spreading over her cheeks in perfect contrast to Ann's scarlet hue. “Please don't worry about this, Ann, I feel the same.”

 

“God, Shiho, never scare me like that again!”

 


End file.
